Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-13
MR.. HALLS DEFENSE.
r. NJ. Hall, Commissioner OF the Gen.
,seral Land Office, Replies to an
sslsss Article from the Cresset.
\ Complete History of the Transactions
Connected with the School LANDS
in Knox County.
AUSTIN, TEX, Aug. II, 1851

AUSTIN, TEX, Aug. II, 1851
To the Editor of the Gazette.
DEAR SIR-In answer to recent article
IN your paper copied from the Seymour
Cresset, rejecting in unmeasured terms
upon my honor as s man snd ny official
integrity. l beg leave to submit to you
for publication the following complete
history Of the transactions connected with
the school lands in Knox county, which
are the subject Of and cause Of said srti-
Gle:
THE established reputation of your
psper for candor and justice assures me
sfhat this communication will promptly
have your kindest attention.
Under act of April G, 1881, the school
lands in Knox county were valued, and
about .onelhalt embraced in said valuation
Hs4e<wifhheld from the market on &C
count of conflict between sur
Eeys in blocks II and 45, Hons
,ton aad Texas Central Railway
company, .aHd blocks . and 3, Dallas and
Wichils galway Company, eId the sur
SeyuFof Baylor land district and treas
urer notified accordingly. See certified
copy Of letter herewith attached, marked
"Exhibit a" In December, 1882, tie
surveyor OF Baylor lsnd district received
applications for twelve 12) sections in
block A, Hous:on and Texas Central
Railway Company, Knox county, and the
Treasurer received same and issued his
receipts of first payment on the 22nd of
| January, 1888. Said applications with
the first payment receipts We're forwarded
| to this office, but on account of conflict
with Dallas and Wichita Railway Com
pany's surveys, sCertihcates Of payment
were refused by the Commissioner, W.
| G.. Walsh, and said applications, together
with treasurer's receipts were tied up IN
General Land Office until May 6, 1856,
when certificates of first payment were
| issued by Commissioner w C. Walsh with
memorandum on back "issued subject 10
decision of the courts in suit now pend
| ing" which suit involved the question of
conflict.
In December, 1882, W. E. R4yner, by
virtue of power of attorney from B. f.
Murphy, w. r. James, Paul Dsmmsnn,
Charles Shueber, A. G. Walker, Jesse
Gordin or Goodin, Martin Casey, Charles
Mitchell and j. II Neail, authorizing him
to file on seven sections each of state
school lands, in accordance with act OF
April G, 1881, (see p. 8. in file l5,220 filed
with the district surveyor Of Baylor land
district, forty applications covering forty
sections in block IS, Houston and Texas
Central Railroad Company, Knox county,
signed by said Rayner as attorney in fact
for above named parties.
Said applications were received by the
surveyor and duly recorded. On March
10, 1883, W. Z. Rayner presented said
applications, together with first payment
to the treasurer, which were rejected by
him on the grounds that the Commission
er OF the General Land Office would not
issue certificates on treasurer's receipts
on account of conflict. Treasurer then
gave Mr.. Rayner a certificate OF tender Of
first payment, setting forth his reason.
for refusing same; also applications fol
fifteen sections in name OF Thomas B
Blake %, NJ. c. Humphrey TO-
j. B. Kirkland (3), dated January I, 1888
which were signed by applicants, bu,
presented by Mr.. Rayner with
the forty as above stated, and were dis.
posed OF in like manner by the Treasurer
On the 9Th day of January, 1884, sale
applications were presented to the Treas
urer and refused, unless the Commits
sioner of the General Land Office would
agree to issue his certificates on same
On the same day the Commissioner ad
dressed letter TO Hon. F. r. Lubbock
Treasurer, informing him that he woulC
issue certificates. (See certified copy O
letter herewith attached marked "exhibi
B.") On the 18th of January, 1887, Treas
urer Lubbock issued mis- receipts O
first payment, and sent same t.
the General Land Office, whicI
were received and certificates issueC
in lieu, on the 8th of January, 1887, will
the following Endorsement on back
n csse now pending"
Commissioner Walsh, think, based hi
action on section Z, page los, Genera
Laws of Texas; approved April II, 1883
TIE foregoing em0rsc9s sixEy-8evel
sections purchases under ect Of ApTi, c
1881; twelve sections in block A; fifty
five sections in block 10, all in Kno.
county.
, The land board has received applies
tons, and made awards under act O
April, 1889, fer ell or part of thirty-eigh
(38) of the above siXty-seven sectiol
applied for under act of April 6, 1881
and the records now show that the LAM
has been sold twice.
Five of said clGims purchased unde
act of 1888, have been cancelled, AIT
money refunded, by authority of tn
state land board, four OF which were can
! celled prior to November l, 1886, snd on
in name OF B. F. Hinton, on the 2Sth 0
: April, 1887.
From the above it will be seen tina
commissioner Hall" has never tskel
any action, or made any ruling touchin!
or affecting any Of said claims.
: The last set Of the Commissioner O
the General Land Ofice touching an,
of these claims, either of settlers o
cattle companies, WAS the issuanc
of commissioners certificates in lieu Q
treasu-er's receipts to the purchaser
: under act Of 1881, which certificates q
above stated, were issued on the Sth da
! of January, 1887.
commissioner Hall" took charge c
the Land Office, and became COMMISSIONS
thereof on January is, 1sS7-just te
days after said issuance.
Should not the Cresset apologize?
3 Very respectfully, R. NJ. HALL,
g Commissioner General Lsnd Office.
n BROWNISG'S LETTER.